SACRAMENTS

Sacraments are religious rites that confer special graces. Christian practices such as baptism and the eucharist were called mysteries in the early church, and they continue to be called mysteries in the Orthodox church to this day. From the time St. Jerome translated the Greek word mysterion into the Latin word sacramentum, the Christian church has referred to these rites as sacraments.

Although baptism and the eucharist were considered to be the primary sacraments, the term sacrament was used to characterize many kinds of Christian ceremonies and practices. St. Augustine described the sacraments as signs belonging to things divine, such as an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. As testimony to the unlimited number of ways Christians found to express God's grace, the number of sacraments increased along with Christian awareness and originality. Eventually, the Roman Catholic church limited the number of sacraments to seven: (1) baptism, (2) confirmation, (3) eucharist, (4) penance, (5) extreme unction, (6) orders, and (7) matrimony.

Part of the need for the Roman Catholic church to provide an explanation of the sacraments came during the 16th century in response to the Protestant Reformation. Reformers held that the number seven was chosen arbitrarily, so they defined sacrament still more sharply by declaring that the term sacrament should apply only to those rites that Jesus himself commanded to be practiced. This limited the number of sacraments to two: (1) baptism and (2) the eucharist. Although all seven of the sacraments are widely used in many Christian churches, we will limit our discussion in this area to baptism and the eucharist. Later in this chapter, we will address weddings and funerals as singular components of the Christian life cycle.

Baptism

Baptism is the rite whereby a person is made a member of the Christian church. From the Greek word baptizein (to dip), baptism refers specifically to a water rite. The sacrament of baptism, however, can be used for Christian initiation as a whole and can embrace both the water rite and the act of confirmation. Figure 1-5

Figure 1-5.-Rites of Christian baptism. 1-15

illustrates the sacrament of Baptism as interpreted within the doctrines of different Christian churches.

Eucharist

Since the second century the term eucharist has been used as the rite that represents the heart of Christian worship. This rite was founded in the last supper of Jesus. Eucharist comes from the Greek word Eucharistia (meaning thanksgiving) and refers to the Jewish prayer before eating or drinking in which the Jews blessed or thanked God by recalling and acknowledging what God had done for His people. Jesus would have used such a prayer himself at the last supper. This practice evolved into the Eucharistic prayer of later Christian rites.

Other names used within many Christian faith groups for the eucharist are communion, Eucharistic sacrifice, or love feast. Although the Eucharistic rite may take several forms, the use of bread and wine is common to most Christian churches. The bread may be leaven or unleaven and the wine can be in the form of wine, grape juice, or water. The different Christian faith groups will use a variety of methods for serving the eucharist. Figure 1-6 illustrates some of the different forms of the Eucharistic rite.

The subject of the eucharist is unquestionably one of the most sensitive issues of Christian faith. Some faith groups observe the eucharist at every worship service. To many Christians, the Eucharistic rite in effect transforms the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ through the action of the chaplain, ordained clergy, or priest. To other Christians, the purpose of eating the bread and drinking the wine is symbolic of a thankful remembrance of Christ's death. The Reformation rejected the notion that Christ was in the eucharist and rejected the idea of transformation. Instead, Reformers held the view that Christ was present only to the worthy communicant through the reception of the elements. All agreed that there could be no celebration of the eucharist unless a substantial number of the congregation received communion with the minister.

Today, some churches are trying to restore the eucharist to the place it had in early Christian practice, as the central service of the church every Sunday, and as a corporate celebration by the congregation rather than merely an opportunity for individuals to receive communion. Whatever form the ritual of the eucharist takes, you must treat both the subject and the acts of eucharist and communion as sacred and worthy of high reverence.

In the following paragraphs, we will talk about weddings and funerals. To many Christians, weddings and funerals are considered to be sacraments or holy rites. In addition to birth, baptism, and entry into adulthood, weddings and funerals are central to the Christian life cycle. Let's take a brief look at each of these important events.